GIRO EMPIRE - Review (mini)

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jmilliron
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by jmilliron

On my Sidi and LG shoes, I usually tighten the ratchet up at least once about 15-30 minutes into the ride.

On my Giro Prolight shoes that just have velcro, I've never felt the need to tighten them mid ride.

It's a mystery.
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mattydubs
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by mattydubs

With you on the prolights. I never screw with the Velcro but when I rode Sidi, Shimano, and Fizik I was always tinkering. If its the "tejin" upper on the prolights I suspect the Empires would need little adjustment as well.

I'm going to get some Empires when they release new color ways (rumor is May).

Fwiw I think the ec90 sole has the lowest production stack height next to Bont.

Imaking20
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by Imaking20

I have been a little concerned about the adjustment as well - but then I thought about my shoe experiences thus far: only on my current S-Works shoes do I find myself needing to adjust after getting into the ride. This wasn't an issue on my boa-equipped Lakes nor my velcro-clad Specialized shoes.

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KWalker
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by KWalker

Where is the info about releasing new colors?
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prendrefeu
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by prendrefeu

Kinda a slight tangent from this discussion:

My experience with football boots (that's soccer for the US crowd) is that once they're on and tied properly, I never have to adjust them for an entire game - 90 minutes worth of interval sprinting on grass, lots more foot movement than a cycling shoe may ever see. But, on the other hand, like other people here I've found myself adjusting shoes both at the beginning of a ride and also later on in the day (especially if it was a long, tough day) to loosen them up a little bit. So some adjustability might be needed on the bike? :shrug:

But back to that tangent.

Giro empires -> shoe lacing, stiff shoes, light, and MSRP of $275 US (which isn't that bad, actually)

But, meanwhile there's this, which is very tempting: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=113006

Adidas F50's with lacing that isn't directly on the center of the metatarsal + mod/carbon -> shoe lacing, stiff sole, form-fitting comfort, custom, light, MSRP of way less...

Hmmmm...
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mattydubs
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by mattydubs

KWalker wrote:Where is the info about releasing new colors?


That's just what I've heard from a Giro rep and a couple of friends.

mattydubs
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by mattydubs

prendrefeu wrote:Kinda a slight tangent from this discussion:

My experience with football boots (that's soccer for the US crowd) is that once they're on and tied properly, I never have to adjust them for an entire game - 90 minutes worth of interval sprinting on grass, lots more foot movement than a cycling shoe may ever see. But, on the other hand, like other people here I've found myself adjusting shoes both at the beginning of a ride and also later on in the day (especially if it was a long, tough day) to loosen them up a little bit. So some adjustability might be needed on the bike? :shrug:

But back to that tangent.

Giro empires -> shoe lacing, stiff shoes, light, and MSRP of $275 US (which isn't that bad, actually)

But, meanwhile there's this, which is very tempting: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=113006" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Adidas F50's with lacing that isn't directly on the center of the metatarsal + mod/carbon -> shoe lacing, stiff sole, form-fitting comfort, custom, light, MSRP of way less...

Hmmmm...


What I was sort of mentioning earlier (the "Tejin" upper on the Prolights and the Empires) comes from football boots. I don't think it's a panacea, but they say that it should mold (stretch) to your foot after a few rides. YMMV, but my Prolights (after... I think 1400 miles, basically since Christmas) feel fantastic and I never adjust them. I suspect the Empires will be the same way.

That's what they said about Kangaroo leather too, though (Copa Mundials were always my boots of choice) and I had some Fizik R1s that never quite fit right (constantly adjusted them).

stanseven
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by stanseven

kode54 wrote:
i may have to upgrade from my S-Works shoe.


You are either joking, trying to get a reaction, or don't know about shoes. The S-Works is a much higher end shoe. The Empire is nice but just uses lacing as an alternative to fasteners on a solid mid-level platform

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Leviathan
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by Leviathan

I agree they look cool but am struggling to see why lacing isnt a big step backwards. How do you loosen them off on the go?

mattiTWOROADS
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by mattiTWOROADS

I went from the s-works (and bont vaypors) to the giro and I wouldn't at all say it is in ANY way a step back.

sideways maybe...

Like I mentioned before, the teijin uppers are quite incredible - surprisingly both supple and supportive. It's funny how so much energy now is focused on the BOA closure system ...which basically acts like laces... so again, I wouldn't call laces a step back.

What the laces offer is the ability to take advantage of the particular upper on this shoe and snugly secure your foot in a way that would cause some serious hot spots with any other closure (after all, a lot of track shoes are still laced for a reason, no?).

What the laces DON'T offer is the ability to adjust during the ride. That is why I think they really aren't for everyone and wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of them hitting ebay in a month or so.

That said, I prefer a super snug fit in my shoes and these really make my feet feel at home coming from a football background myself. I found myself only ever TIGHTENING the boas on the s-works during the ride. So much so that I realized they were likely slipping. That was confirmed when I picked up the bonts and found that once strapped in, no adjustments were ever needed during rides. The bonts really didn't work for my feet so I almost went back to the s-works. I decided to give these a shot as they were now available and I couldn't be happier. They feel better in every way to the s-works (for me at least).

Again, they won't be for everyone and if you need a shoe that you need to constantly be fidgeting with for whatever reason, these really aren't for you... but to say because they have a fairly simple design concept and are laced that they are a step backwards or inferior is just bollocks. In a lot of way, I really feel that what they have done with these uppers is quite forward... but again, that's just me... I wear long black socks...
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mattiTWOROADS
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by mattiTWOROADS

btw, former short-lived gunner wearing world cups all the time!
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teufelhunden222
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by teufelhunden222

um, laces in chains anyone?
[img]<iframe%20height='160'%20width='300'%20frameborder='0'%20allowtransparency='true'%20scrolling='no'%20src='http://app.strava.com/athletes/1677950/activity-summary/ddf436fc1ca509b20d4637cfa80c928da771d2c6'></iframe>[/img]

lionking
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by lionking

I absolutely love these, but will probably hold out to see if further colours are forthcoming.

Imaking20
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by Imaking20

stanseven wrote:
kode54 wrote:
i may have to upgrade from my S-Works shoe.


You are either joking, trying to get a reaction, or don't know about shoes. The S-Works is a much higher end shoe. The Empire is nice but just uses lacing as an alternative to fasteners on a solid mid-level platform


Can we hear your first hand reviews of both shoes then?

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KWalker
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by KWalker

anyone have insight as to possible future colors?
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